the Council may want to consider that will both educate Council members and provide valuable inputs both to our evaluation and to the day-to-day implementation of the State plan. $35,000 Economic Development Administration Grant The West Virginia State Advisory Council on Vocational Education was awarded a $35,000 EDA grant to study Vocational facilities and programs in West Virginia. We awarded a contract to Education Systems Resources of Washington, D.C., Charles Consolvo Jr., General Manager. Our contract outlines the following objectives: (a) An analysis and review of West Virginia's allocation of State. Federal and local resources to the several sectors of the educational system. (b) The ability of State and local systems to support occupa tional education. (e) The capabilities, flexibility, location and resources of the State's occupational educational programs. (7) The organization and management of the State's occupational education programs. (e) Occupational education in relation to meeting existing and projected industrial and service related industry needs. (f) The legal structure necessary for the establishment of a responsive occupational training system in West Virginia. (4) The administrative and planning machinery and tools neces sary for effectively and efficiently coordinating and directing all Federal, State and local occupational training, manpower training programs, and technical programs underway in West Virginia. Advisory Council Newsletter The first monthly advisory council newsletter was published in March 1972. The format for this four-page newsletter is to provide a means of publicizing the outstanding vocational education programs throughout the State, to profile the members of the West Virginia Advisory Council, and to focus attention to the emerging trends and directions in education throughout the country. Not only has distribution reached 1,000 per month, but also so much material of importance needed to be published that the Council supported the recommendation to expand the new-letter to six pages beginning with the August 1972 edition. Currently, copies of the newsletter are sent to the National Alvisory Council, all executive directors of State advisory com, sile, the Governor's office, U.S. Office of Education, West Virginia legis lators, West Virginia State Department of Education, West Virginia Board of Education, county superintendents and vocational direetors, local boards of edreation, newspapers throughout the State, and chambers of commerce. We have invited, and the State Department of Education is using our newsletter to disseminate information. B' Monthly Conel Mectiuas In order to familiarize the citizens of West Virginia with advi-ory council activities, we scheduled open meetings throughout the State. A few of the groups invited to our open meetings include: State Department of Education members, State Board of Education members. West Virginia legislators, local education committee members of the chamber of commerce, county superintendents and vocational directors, and local business and industrial leaders. We have been encouraged with the attendance of these invited guests and feel that our council receives valuable inputs concerning Vocational education. They, in turn, get a better understanding of the council's activities and our determination to improve vocational education throughout West Virginia. Council Travel Members of the West Virginia State Advisory Council are encouraged to attend and participate in national and State meetings that will further improve their concept of vocational education. To this end Council members have participated in the U.S. Office of Education regional workshop on career education in Washington. D.C., and the National/State Advisory Council cooperative day of planning in Washington, D.C., and Denver, Colo. In addition to these meetings, several council members attended a 2-day review of the Skyline Career Center in Dallas, Tex. These activities invariably create enthusiasm in council members for vocational education opportunities to the citizens of West Virginia. Educational Priorities The West Virginia advisory council is presently studying the possible implementation of the "Delphi model." The institute for the future in Middletown, Conn., a prototype of the futurist think tank, is a leader in the design of new forecasting tools. One of these is Delphi-a method largely developed by Dr. Olaf Helmer, the mathematician-philosopher who is one of the founders of the IFF. Delphi attempts to deal with very distant futures by making systematic use of the "intuitive" guesstimates of large numbers of experts. The work on Delphi has led to a further innovation which has special importance in the attempt to prevent future shock by regulating the pace of change. Pioneered by Theodore J. Gordan of the IFF, and called Cross Impact Matrix Analysis. it traces the effect of one innovation on another, making possible, for the first time, anticipatory analysis of complex chains of social, technological, and other occurrences-and the rates at which they are likely to occur. WYOMING During fiscal year 1972, the council continued work on responsibilities outlined in the Vocational Amendments of 1968, Public Law 90-576. Those responsibilities were: 1. Advise the State board on the development and policy matters arising in the administration of the State plan. . . including the preparation of long range and annual program plans. 2. Evaluate vocational educational programs, services and activ ities assisted under this title, and publish and distribute the results thereof; and 3. Prepare and submit through the State board to the commissioner and to the national council an annual evaluation report . . . which (i) evaluates the effectiveness of vocational education programs, services, and activities carried out in the year under review in meeting the program objectives set forth in the long range program plan and the annual program plan . . . and (ii) recommends such changes in such programs, services, and activities as may be warranted by the evaluations. Advisement, evaluation and reporting were three specified roles which the State advisory council was directed by statute to embody in its mission. The following outline covered many of the detailed activities of the council and staff: . Prepared and disseminated fiscal year 1971 evaluation report. b. Conducted five public information meetings-Worland, Rock Springs, Lander, Torrington, and Laramie. c. Implemented career information program utilizing radio spots and outdoor signs. d. Participated as third party evaluators of career education exemplary projects at Riverton. e. Held six regular council meetings and 10 subcommittee meetings. One meeting with Governor Stanley K. Hathaway and two with State Superintendent Robert Schrader. f. The State plan committee worked with State coordinator of Occupational education providing input for the State plan for occupational education. 7. Evaluated and rated occupational education program proposal submitted to SDE for funding. h. Council member participated on accreditation team appraising community colleges. The council members visited over 20 school districts throughout the State, gaining a better understanding of existing occupational education programs and offered a summary report of several of the visitations. D. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS To WHAT EXTENT IS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL WHO NEED AND DESIRE IT AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL? ALABAMA Of the 600 secondary schools (grades 7-12) in the State, 429 (71 percent) offered job-related instruction. Only 400 (67 percent) of the high schools (grades 9-12) offered any type of job-related instruction. Only 11.5 percent of the secondary school students were enrolled in job-related instructional programs. ARIZONA Of all students enrolled in secondary schools in Arizona, 36 percent were students in vocational courses; or, of the 143,730 students enrolled in secondary schools in 1972, 51,117 students were involved in vocational education or career education. The secondary school vocational programs that have received major emphasis include cooperative education programs, programs for the disadvantaged and handicapped, the work-study programs, the multi-school programs in depressed areas, and programs in private proprietary institutions when local educational agencies have requested contracted instruction. During the previous school year. the division of vocational education evaluated 10 high school career and vocational education programs. Department personnel used a written instrument to conduct the evaluation and used the results of these studies to upgrade programs in the ten high schools. ARKANSAS Last year, from a total of approximately $150 million appropriated to the Department of Education by the General Assembly only $1.5 million went to vocational education at the secondary level. With only 1 percent of the State's funds available, the division of vocational education cannot be expected to accomplish needed changes in secondary level vocational education. The council urges the State board to seek $5 million during the next sessions of the legislature for secondary school orientation, exploratory, and skill training programs. With over 20,000 students dropping out of the public school system annually, and about 15.000 graduating from high school or dropping out of college and seeking employment, the council strongly feels we must establish greater equality between the academic and occupational disciplines as rapidly as possible. At the secondary level, in addition to local funds, it costs Arkansas ap proximately $100 per student per year in extra educational costs to provide students occupational education. But, because occupational education has had and continues to have such low priority, far too many students leave the system without this type of training. Consequently, where the State might have provided basic skill training over a period of 2 years at the secondary level for some $200, it is forced to spend over $1,600 per student at the postsecondary level. It should be noted that the postsecondary schools, however, are presently designed to handle less than 4.000 students. To resolve some of the major problems inherent in this situation. the council recommends the use of mobile training units for students in grades 7 10, establishment of more area school centers for cooperating school districts, expansion of the vocational agriculture shops to include industry-oriented experiences, and the making of arrangements for the postsecondary area vocational schools to provide skill training to selected high school students. The council strongly urges expansion of secondary-level occupational training as a first priority of the State board rather than postsecondary schools which are the board's present top priority. COLORADO Secondary enrollment in regular vocational programs increased 17 percent to 27.761 students during 1971-72. There are now 37 percent of 11th and 12th grades enrolled in regular vocational pro grams. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA There has been no significant increase in enrollments in vocational high schools. The five vocational high schools and the skills center serve only 15 percent (2.842) students, with 85 percent (16) in comprehensive high schools. The facilities of the vocational high schools are in need of capital improvement before any additional students can be enrolled. The council also reported that the industrial arts shops in the junior high schools are in a deplorable state. FLORIDA It should be pointed out, however, that there are still many unmet needs for vocational education. By conservative estimate, at least 30 percent more high school students need to develop occunational skills, adults need to learn new skills and update old skills, additional disadvantaged and minority group persons need training. and funds are needed to provide essential facilities, especially for secondary schools. IDAHO Idaho needs quality occupational training programs on the seeondary level. Priorities must be redirected. Most of Idaho's public schools are directed to academic education for the college-bound student. Too many young people feel frustrated because the requirements of the present high school curriculum are not meeting their |